The Federation of Mountain Clubs
of British Columbia
October 2019 NEWSLETTER
| Reminder: Avalanche Awareness is coming to Vancouver! Presented by the FMCBC and Avalanche Canada. New to the backcountry? Want to up your game? No matter your level of outdoor experience, this must-attend event will boost your awareness of avalanche safety, equipment and resources. It's all happening on Nov. 9th at the North Shore Alliance Church in North Vancouver! - Presentations from Avalanche Canada, North Shore SAR, AdventureSmart and a North Shore snowshoe ambassador & guide
- Admission by donation
- Prizes (including a pair of Atlas snowshoes, donated by K2)
- Free parking
- Registration not required, but is appreciated so we can estimate attendance
The event is broken into two parts. Attend one or both! - Morning session (advanced): 10:30 am – noon
- Afternoon session (beginner): Doors open at 1:30 pm. Presentations run 2:00 pm – 4 pm (may run slightly longer to accommodate questions)
Full event and presenter details are at avalanche-awareness.eventbrite.ca, and be sure to join and share our Facebook event. See you there! | Want to make a difference? Do you belong to an FMCBC Member Club? Have a few hours a month to spare? Want to help strengthen the FMCBC and protect BC's backcountry for present—and future—generations to enjoy? We're looking for volunteers for the following committees: - Fundraising
- Risk Management
- Outreach & Communications
This is a great chance to share your experience, get some experience and make a real difference to non-motorized outdoor recreation in BC! You can check out the full details here. If you have questions or are interested in joining a committee, get in touch with Barry at executive.director@mountainclubs.org. | Wanted: Photos of BC Parks trails & infrastructure As regular users of BC’s provincial parks, you’ve probably noticed things aren’t looking the way they used to. Broken signage, damaged boardwalks, ecological damage, neglected facilities—it’s clear the BC government has been spending their dollars elsewhere. Our parks have been in dire need of funding for over a decade, and it shows. That’s why we’re looking for current photos that document the state of our provincial parks—both good and bad. So take a look back at your photos from this past summer, snap some new shots while you’re out on the trails this fall and winter, and send us what you find! Please be as specific as possible with the location of each photo. GPS coordinates are best, but not necessary. For some great examples of past photos, check out our #FundBCParks album on Facebook or view our #FundBCParks photo map. A few more thoughts: - We want photos from all parts of the province, but we do have one specific request: With the summer parking capacity increased for Garibaldi, we’d like some photos of the trails in the park, as well as in Cypress.
- If your club has done trail work in provincial parks over the summer, we’d love to see photos of your team at work and/or the finished product!
- We’re also interested in hearing about any deficiencies in park management that you or your club has experienced.
You can send your photos and details to Stacey at stacey.santos@mountainclubs.org. (Photos: Taken in Mount Seymour Provincial Park this past July.) | Sneak peek at the next issue of Cloudburst Cloudburst submissions have been rolling in, and we’re excited to start putting together another great issue! The Fall/Winter 2019 issue of Cloudburst will be out in early December. Until then, here’s a sneak peek: - FMCBC Southwest BC Recreation & Conservation Committee report
- An in-depth look at the concept of Right to Roam in BC
- A member’s incredible experience at the ACC Women’s Climbing Camp
- Brazeau Loop: A grand tour of Jasper’s southern ranges
- FMCBC Member Club Grant updates
And of course, many great book reviews, backcountry tales, mountain news, and more. The deadline to submit for this issue is October 31st, so there’s still a bit of time to send in an article of your own to stacey.santos@mountainclubs.org! A friendly reminder that this issue is digital only. The hardcopy version may make a reappearance in the future, but for now, Cloudburst will only be available online until further notice. | Suspension of the Rural Dividend Program The Outdoor Recreation Council of BC (ORC) wrote an important letter regarding the suspension of the BC Rural Dividend Program. As ORC said, "The BCRDP is one of the few grants to specifically include a trails infrastructure stream, acknowledging the significant importance trails play for rural destination development, tourism, lifestyle attraction, and overall community health. We fear that the indefinite suspension of funding will have a negative impact on rural communities across BC, many of which have experienced significant economic disruptions and layoffs in recent years due to wildfires and mountain pine beetle infestations, and they too need all the help they can get to transition their communities in a more socially and economically sustainable and diverse direction." In response to the widespread public outcry, the province says “staff are working with colleagues across other ministries to identify options for alternative funding, with an emphasis on community economic development and diversification.” Public feedback opportunities Tenquille Owl Lakes Recreation Area: The Pemberton Wildlife Association, who holds a partnership agreement with Recreation Sites and Trails BC to manage the Tenquille Owl Lakes Recreation Area, is undertaking an assessment of recreational use and impacts in the area. Take the survey here (deadline is Oct. 31st, 2019). Old-growth forest management: Time to share your views on the management of old-growth forests in BC! The BC Government appointed a 2-person, independent panel to lead an Old Growth Strategic Review. The panel will be visiting communities around BC and is inviting online feedback until January 31, 2020 at 4 p.m. Share your thoughts here. | 'Don't abandon someone': North Shore Rescue calls out group for leaving hiker alone - CBC News, Oct. 1, 2019 Squamish filmmaker explores path to recovery on Juan de Fuca Marine Trail - Squamish Chief, Oct. 1, 2019 Here is what to do if you run into a cougar, black bear, or grizzly bear in B.C. - Squamish Chief, Oct. 3, 2019 B.C. environmentalist killed in Ethiopian Airline crash honoured with new award - CBC News, Oct. 7, 2019 "Like some giant machine that could not be turned off" - Watershed Sentinel, Oct. 8, 2019 Public weighs in on Joffre Lakes Provincial Park management - Squamish Chief, Oct. 20, 2019 E-bikes picking up in popularity on Sea-to-Sky mountain trails - CBC News, Oct. 21, 2019 Province to review closure of popular ski touring area near Pemberton - Pique, Oct. 21, 2019 Crown land to be returned to Squamish Nation, including world-class rock climbing area - CBC News, Oct. 28, 2019 | Other News & Announcements | Due to increased bear activity, BC Parks has closed the Garibaldi Lake area including the Garibaldi Lake access trail. This is in addition to the full closure of the Taylor Meadows campground and the Taylor Meadows access trail. The closures may be in effect until October 31st. More details. Did you know that almost all of Rocky Mountain Books’ titles are available on Kobo, Apple Books, and Kindle? If you’d like to purchase one of their titles online as an e-book, just follow the purchase links under your preferred title on their website! Want to win a Level 1 Avalanche Skills Training course? Then check out this great giveaway from BC AdventureSmart and Canada West Mountain School! The winner will be announced on Nov. 2nd, 2019. And of course, don't forget about our free Avalanche Awareness Event, coming up in North Van on Nov. 9th! Two sessions (beginner and advanced) of avalanche safety, speakers, science, and education. Measuring distances on trails is tricky business. Here’s how it works—and why sometimes numbers from different sources don’t match up. South of the border there's an impressive collaboration between volunteers, clubs and government to maintain wilderness trails. Read all about it.
| This month's feature photo was taken by Amber McMinn of the ACC Vancouver Section and is from an article submitted to the upcoming Fall/Winter 2019 issue of Cloudburst, which will be released in December. The article, written by Karen Jensen, Amber McMinn, and Anna Milino, is a write-up of their experience at the incredible ACC/Marmot Women’s Climbing Camp this past June in the Tantalus Range. | Click here to view our Spring/Summer 2019 issue of Cloudburst. Use our online form to report motorized recreation observed within BC Park boundaries.
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The FMCBC is always looking for volunteers. Click here to find out how you can get involved. | | The FMCBC is a proud member of: | As always, the FMCBC would like to thank Mountain Equipment Co-op for supporting the FMCBC through their generous contribution of office space from which to base our administration. | | Copyright © 2019 Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC, All rights reserved.
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